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Rick On the Rocks

Lifestyle & Travel Dad Blog

Music

We Be Jamming With Pringles® Summer Jam

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Pringles® Summer Jam. But all the jamming and opinions are my own.

In a former life, I was a full time musician. It was a living. A living full of ramen noodles and crashing on people’s couches, but I enjoyed it. One thing that all musicians like to do… Is Jam!

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It’s a great way to let your talent just naturally flow and some of my best ideas and songs came out of a jam. Recently, on a trip to Milwaukee, I had a jam session with some friends. My buddy James from ManTripping.com gave me and my pal Jeff some pencils and Pringles® cans. We just started talking and coming up with rhythms. I didn’t realize he was filming us. It was all organic!

Friends just sitting around having fun.

There’s No Pressure. Just Be Yourself!

This summer, Pringles® is showcasing the art of the jam. They are unveiling their inaugural Summer Jam, for music fans nationwide. Pringles® is giving you exclusive access to their favorite artists and a bevy of unbelievable musical content.

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So, they have decided to challenge music sensation M4Sonic and an array of musicians who come from varying styles and backgrounds – called the Percussion Prodigies – to incorporate the brand’s iconic can into their different types of musical expression. Pringles® knows that people have been using their cans as instruments for a very long time. Now, they want to see the results!

Spanky and Ulysses

All of the musicians involved are incredible, but this is by far my favorite. This guy makes playing the drums look WAY to easy!

Stanley

 

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pringles® Summer Jam.

Get Out Your Guitar Day 2015!!!

Who knew!!! February 11th is National Get Out Your Guitar Day.

I first started playing the guitar when I was 17 years-old. I had been a drummer, I’ll use that term loosely, in a few bands starting at the tender age of 14. I got the songwriter bug and decided I better learn how to play something that I could get a melody out of… so I sat in my room for 2 months and didn’t come out until I knew 6 chords.

Those 6 chords took me on a journey that was quite amazing. I eventually started recording my first album when I was 19 and over the years have recorded 8 albums since. I’ve played on songs with Latin dance artists, ska bands, punk bands, old school R&B, country, rockabilly and everything in between. I’ve logged thousands of hours in the studio. Written, produced, promoted and sat in on more late night jam sessions than I can remember.

I’ve seen and done quite a bit with my original 6 chords, but there is one thing that has constantly been my cheap therapy, my secret place that has followed me all of these years.

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Picking up my Yamaha acoustic (Her name is Erma Jean) and just playing.

Here is a cover of one of my favorite songs of all-time:

I’m also trying to pass on the love of guitar to my 10 year-old daughter. Here is a quick snippet of us playing a song by “The Lumineers”.

Playing the guitar is a part of me that goes so deep, it’s hard to explain. Today, if you have a dusty guitar sitting in your garage or attic, break it out. Strum a little bit and try to remember why you wanted to play it in the first place. I’m betting you’ll discover some memories that might have been long forgotten and maybe playing that old guitar will let you live there, if even for a moment.

KISS: Tells The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame…”You Can Kiss Off!”

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
photo credit: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

It was recently reported that the band KISS will not be performing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this year. After years of berating and belittling the Hall of Fame for what seemed like a constant snubbing of the bands’ overwhelming accomplishments, the band announced it will NOT be playing on April 10.

It seems the controversy is over who would actually be representing KISS on stage. Founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley did not want to reunite with original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley . Their argument is that current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer have been playing, touring and recording with the band for the past 13 years. Which is almost as long as Criss and Frehley played with the band. Now keep in mind Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John and Bruce Kulick have also been members at some point and time.

In my opinion, KISS has earned a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They have 28 gold albums, more than any other American rock band… EVER! They have sold over 100 million albums worldwide, which also makes them one of the top selling bands of all time. Are their songs deep or life changing? Absolutely not. But they’ve never claimed to be that kind of band. They made it clear right from the start, they wanna rock and roll all night (sing it with me) and party every day.

Let’s be honest, KISS has always been Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. They run the show. They came up with the concept, they came up with the merchandising and they came up with the look.  One of their biggest hits – and probably my favorite, is Beth. That was actually sung by Mr. Peter Criss and written by ex-Chelsea guitarist, Stan Penridge. I’m sorry, you can’t get up and sing Beth at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony without Peter Criss! Simmons and Stanley have all the control and have decided to let the Hall of Fame know, “It’s our way or no way”!

It’s up in the air who exactly from KISS is showing up or if there will be any kind of involvement at all. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame might be so pissed, they might not acknowledge them at all during the ceremony. I wouldn’t blame them. At this point, their hands are kind of tied. It’s really disappointing, as a fan of music, when something like this happens. I was in bands for years and sometimes you just don’t get along with everybody all the time. But you can be darn sure that if I had a 40 year career that was being celebrated with the highest honor in my field, I would do everything in my power to make it work. I could get through a couple days of rehearsals and a 15 minute performance. Do you know why? Because I know how much it would mean to the fans.

Maybe Gene and Paul need to step back and think this over for a minute? KISS is much bigger than them. KISS belongs to the world now. But unfortunately, they have chosen to overlook that. Guess who suffers at the end of the day? The very people who got you where you are, the most important people… period. The fans.

What do you think about it?